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The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív said there were still valid reasons to remember the effects of hunger here, particularly as the suffering which Ireland experienced in the 1840s still exists in many parts of the world today.

Skibbereen was chosen as the main site of commemorations as it was one of the worst affected areas during the Famine.

Between 8,000 to 10,000 people are buried in a mass grave in the Famine Graveyard.